Landing in America

Well, as some of you who read this blog might know, we have arrived in Homestead, FL!

The trip was not exactly a nightmare, but I'm not terribly upset that it's over, either.

Observations about Homestead / America.

1.) Lots of Spanish here! It's time to brush off what I learned in high school / college.

2.) Everything is bigger in America! The small drinks at fast food restaurants are bigger than the "super size" ones in Korea.

3.) Going into Wallmart was staggering. I could not believe the massive amount of food and other goods that are available in the US. This truly is the land of plenty.

4.) This county is flat, flat, flat! And that's great news if you ride bikes. I'm very pleased to not have to go up any hills.

5.) Hot weather is here, but I don't mind, I'm soaking it up with a smile. There is a nice strong sea breeze most of the time, so it's not too bad. We have to keep using sun tan lotion on the girls especially, as we don't want "bacon"-ettes.

6.) Jet lag is terrible. But it's HORRIBLE when a baby is involved. Just sayin'

7.) I got an iPhone! If you need to contact me, it's 305-878-6604.

8.) People down South, as I am remembering, are very nice. And very slow. This will be good for my Yankee frenetic pace.

9.) I love tacos.

10.) God is good!

Update on the Vasel

Quite a bit has happened since our last post. Let me explain.

No, there is too much. Let me 'sum up.

- Clara had a bout of seizures at the beginning of June. After some serious worries, and several trips to one of the biggest hospitals in Korea, we found out she has absence seizures - something that can be contained by medicine. She is doing okay - just had a checkup today, and seems to be doing fine.

- The summer was fairly uneventful, although I kept busy at church.

- A gaggle of new teachers showed up in August, and school started again. Holly started kindergarten.

- Melody has started learning to play the clarinet.

- Laura and I are taking a trip to Germany in two weeks. Ruby is coming, the others are staying with friends while we go.

- I performed my first wedding. And not my last! Another is coming up in a month.

There you go - a summary of all the posts I should have made. More will come.

Ruby Rose Vasel

Ruby Rose Vasel was born today at 11:41 AM, March 18, 2009.

She was 3.33 kg (which is about 6 pounds, 10 ounces).

Both the baby and Mom are doing fine.


Six girls! Hooray!

Vaselology

OK, I've never done one of these before in my life. I think they're stupid. But yet, my sisters haven't proven themselves to be stupid, and they both did it, so maybe I'll do one and see what happens. But I'll also be nice and not tag anyone. For those of you lucky enough to have never read one of these, it's a bunch of random questions that people answer so that others may learn more about them.

They start with something like this:" Tag- You're it!!! Let others know a little more about yourself by re-posting and tagging your friends. Repost note as your name "ology"

Hmm, "Tomology" sounds dumb, so we'll go with "Vaselology" I'm one of the last Vasels in existence, anyway - and with my slight tendency to having girls, will probably stay that way.


What is your salad dressing of choice?
Well, whatever I'm in the mood for at any given point. Tie me down, and it's probably Red Wine and Vinegar. I am partial to good creamy Ranch, though.

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
Anyone who has ever been to Shady Maple does not ask this question. There is honestly no competition. Shady Maple is the best - period.

What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it?
I once would have said tacos, but now I think I'll say nothing. I love tacos, but probably would get tired of them after the tenth day.

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Taco topping (thank you CiCis!), but of the "normal" toppings - jalepeno peppers, cheddar cheese, and chicken. Although shrimp, scallops, and squid is a good combo. And what about bacon, cheddar, and onions? More than one topping, that's for sure.

What do you like to put on your toast?
Garlic salt and a special blend of spices I have.

How many televisions are in your house?
One, and that's probably one too many.

What color cell phone do you have?
Black, and who cares?

Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Happily, I'm right handed. Since most stuff in the world is geared towards those who are right handed, I'm happy to be in the majority.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A mole. But it grew back. A mole. But it grew back. A mole. (I'm about to give up)

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
My gigantic body on and off the Wii Fit.

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
No. Probably plenty of people have thought about it, though!

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
Would I live differently? I hope not - I want to serve Jesus Christ every day, and if I acted differently knowing the day I would die - I would be a hypocrite.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Tom is a cool name, and Vasel (other than the myriad of people who spell it wrong) is pretty nice. Le Hatte de Vanache is pretty cool, but I don't think my wife would go for that.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
Pish posh. I'd do it for $50. (As long as we're talking normal hot sauce).

Last run-in with the cops?
I keep out of their hair.

Last person you talked to?
In person - my wife. I try to make this a general habit. And what did we talk about? When the baby is coming, of course!

Last person you hugged?
My wife. This is going to be my answer 70% of the time. The other 30% is spread amongst my girls.

Favorite Season?
Summer. By far. Then I like Fall and Spring. Winter I hate. And despise. And hate.

Holiday?
Christmas, because of the wonderful cheerfulness that is in the air. But Easter is really the best holiday - I wish it got the same treatment as Christmas.

Day of the week?
Sunday, although I'm partial to Mondays, as I catch a quick break after a busy Sunday.

Month?
June.

First place you went this morning?
In the house - to the stupid Wii Fit.
Out of the house - to school.
Boy, this is exciting - aren't you glad you're reading this?

What's the last movie you saw?
Hmmm, not sure, really. A Walk to Remember, probably.

Do you smile often?
I do quite often. But not very much at the Wii Fit.

Do you always answer your phone?
Yes. It's rude to ignore people calling, and you never know when it's an emergency!

It's four in the morning and you get a text message who is it?
Someone from church.

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
Fluorescent lime, or perhaps rainbow. Or again, who cares?

What flavor drink do you get at Sonic??
What is this Sonics you speak of?

Do you own a digital camera?
Now days, only the Amish don't.

Have you ever had a pet fish?
Had? How about have? I think we have about 16 right now, all of which have lasted almost two years!

Favorite Christmas song?
Joseph's Lullaby

What's on your wish list for your birthday?
Nothing. Why make a wish list when no one buys for you? But if I'm pretending, I need to get a new iPod to replace the one that was stolen. About 100 good Christian books would be nice, also.

Can you do push ups?
None of your business! Only me and the Wii Fit know.

Can you do a chin up?
See last question, except for the Wii part.

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
It depends what we are talking about

Do you have any saved texts?
I delete them all (I hate texts!!!), but I do keep one with a password on it.

Ever been in a car wreck?
No, praise the Lord.

Do you have an accent?
Everyone has an accent. Mine is mostly PA Dutch, but I have picked up a few Southern bits, and a few Oriental twangs, also.

What is the last song to make you cry?
A really bad rendition of Happy Birthday. But maybe they were tears of laughter.

Plans tonight?
Setting up a new computer, and cleaning a room, and playing with my kids.

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
I have. But Jesus is always there, and it's not that bad.

Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
Computer, Hard Drive, Flowers. I gave one of these three things to my wife. You guess which.

Have you ever been given roses?
I have! It seems odd, but all teacher's get flowers on Teacher's Day here in Korea.

Current worry?
Will the Wii Fit trainer make fun of me tomorrow?

Current hate right now?
Wii Fit trainer

Met someone who changed your life?
The pat answer (and the correct one, really) is Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate life changer. Other than that, Laura, Rex, Rich, Joe, Sam, Matt, and Rod have all been big influences. And pastors - Pastor Kelley and Pastor Sliger especially.

How did you bring in the New Year?
The same way I always do. With a board game. Time's Up this year.

What song represents you?
Only a Sinner, Saved by Grace

Name three people who might complete this?
People who have WAY too much time.

What were you doing 12 AM last night?
snoring.

What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
Is the Wii Fit trainer going to be annoyed at me?


Hmmm, maybe a lot of Wii Fit talk here. I think that will be my next post. OK, I've finally done one of these lists. Hopefully that should please people for the next 5 years.

Top Ten Musical Instruments

Violet sure seems to blow that harmonica like she knows what she's doing, but the noise that comes out is akin to the death wheezes of an aging bagpipe. Still, it's hilarious to watch, and she takes it extremely seriously.

If you get to know me, you'll know that I love making top ten lists, about anything and everything. So I figured I would post them here in this blog at various points. Let's start with my top ten favorite instruments.

10.) Timpani Drums - Okay, this is an odd choice of instruments, but this is the instrument that MAKES the symphony orchestra for me. When you hear the booming of them in the beginning of a piece, it brings such majesty, such power - that I immediately stop and listen.

9.) Xylophone - Yes, "x" is for xylophone - that's my ESL teaching coming out. (and I've always been irritated that this is the example they use). Anyway, I actually prefer duel xylophones, with people banging away on them like crazy. Too bad the instruments are bulky and difficult to move around - I've always wanted to learn how to play them.

8.) Trombone - A brass band needs the trombone, and hearing them do the slide brings shivers when I hear it. Oddly, I'm not as enthused about them when played solo, but I do enjoy them in a group - trumpets alone do not have enough oomph in bands.

7.) Fiddle - Yeah, I said fiddle instead of violin. Are they different? Wikipedia says they're basically the same - and I mean the style of music. A good violinist can make you cry. A good fiddler can make the most stoic of men dance. Crying is good sometimes, but I rather tap my foot, thank you.

6.) French Horn - Such a mellow, rich sound - I wish bands and orchestras give them more solos. When backed up by strings, it's something I can close my eyes and just listen with enjoyment.

5.) Clarinet - I love Dixie music, and a good clarinet player will make me stop and listen - even in the most exciting amusement park in the world (why is that the only place I run into Dixie bands?). The trumpet is louder, and brasher. But the clarinet is the instrument that brings the true melody to the group.

4.) Trumpet - Brash, loud, blaring. Without them, I couldn't stand brass bands. I wouldn't be able to smile as much as I do when I hear Bugler's Holiday by Leroy Anderson. The trumpet IS the orchestra. The leader, the best - and hearing them in God is Good All the Time brings me joy every time.

3.) Accordion - Yeah, I said it. I'm tired of the accordion being associated with polka. Yes, it is the mainstay of that brand of music, but a master of the accordion - and they certainly are rare - is amazing to listen to. Add an accordion to a band, and someone who knows how to wield it, and you have increased it's likeability by 100%.

2.) Piano - The only instrument I know how to play (okay, I know how to play the trumpet - we just haven't worked out any of the kings yet). Still, the pianist is the master of the orchestra, the leader - they don't need anyone else to sound good. And the variety of styles are amazing - from honky tonk to ballads.

1.) Theater Organ - I love the grandeur of the pipe organ, but the theater organ is still my favorite. When I was a kid, I went to an organ maker (forget the name now), and an old man sat down at the organ and played several pieces for us. I was transfixed, and I've never forgotten it. Yes, silent films are dead and gone - and theater organs have been mostly relegated to recordings at ice rinks - but it's still my favorite instrument. Perhaps modern keyboards have replaced them to some degree, but it just isn't the same.

Okay, those are my favorite instruments - the Definitive List of Best Musical Instruments. What's yours?

Time to read.

As a child, I loved to read. I read every book I could find, no matter the subject. I read science books, biographies - but I kept coming back to fiction. I still love to read a good yarn, although I am getting pickier and pickier.

I am glad to see that this reading gene has passed on to Melody. Here she is, with a set of books that Grandma and Grandpa gave her - a set of the classics. Now, they are watered down - which in some cases is good, in other cases I think I might prefer the original book. But either way, I'm glad she is being exposed to them.

She walks around with her nose in a book, manages to get one read in a day, reads at night when she thinks I'm not watching, and loses herself in books.

Now, this can get someone into trouble - I was almost hit by a car while walking and reading at one point - but I still heavily encourage this. TV and movies are everywhere - but there's nothing like a good book. Reading is a tremendous skill, and I want all my kids to do it. Holly pretends to read, Amy reads simple books - I want to see the whole family squashed up on a couch, reading books.

Books - in English - aren't too easy to find here. I finally found a used bookstore in Seoul, but the books are still about $5 each, a far cry from the 25 cent books I can find while in America. But I sill manage to find them, and I keep many bookshelves stocked with them at home.

I can't wait to introduce Melody to Redwall, Little House on the Prairie, and more. The only thing holding us back is time. So many books, so little time.

Now I need something good to read myself. I've run out of books in my own library. Maybe I'll read Melody's.

Welcome - and how to game with all these kids!

Welcome to the blog! I don't plan to make this a place where I give great soliloquies about anything, it may be that this is simply a place to post pictures and videos of my family. I am a pastor in Korea, which occupies a good amount of my time, and I also have a large family, which occupies most of my time.

And in my spare time, I like to play board games. For those of you who don't know, I have a video podcast in which I talk about board games, a hobby I enjoy quite a bit. I'm going to post videos here from that series when they pertain to my family. So here's the latest one - explaining how I work gaming in with all these kids!